To sar



(No Model.)

' E.R.ISARGENT.

GASKET LID GATGH.

No. 272,333. Patented Feb. 13.1333.

IMI

N. Fmlli D- C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

EDWARD a. SARGENT, on NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SAR- GENT & 00.,OF SAME PLACE.

CASKET-LID CATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,333, dated February 13, 1883.

' Application filed October 14, 1882. (No model.)

hereby declare the following, when taken in connectio with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, and

which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-- Figure 1, a top view; Fig. 2, an under side View; Fig. 3, the catch as attached, all enlarged- This invention relates to a device for securing the cover of coffins, caskets, 850., the object of the invention being a cheap and simple device, which may be easily applied, and yet firmly secure the cover when closed; .and the invention consists in a plate having an opening through which the head of abolt will pass, combined with a lever-latch hung upon the under side of the plate at one side of the opening and a flange upon the opposite side, where-- by the passage of the bolt through the opening will turn the latch away until the head of the bolt-has passed below the latch then the latch will spring forward and engage the head, the flange upon the opposite side serving to hold the bolt in engagement with the latch, and as more fully hereinafter described.

A represents the plate by which the device is secured to the casket. Through this plate is an'opening, B, corresponding to the head a. of a screw, 0. This screw forms the bolt, and is a common round-headed screw. It is screwed into the cover D, so as to leave a head projecting the required distance, as seen in Fig. 3. Upon the under side of the plate a latch is hung upon a pivot, 12, the latch d curved corresponding to the shape of the opening B, and so as to extend partially around the opening, and provided with a spring, e, which,

when free, forces the latch d'to its normal position, and so as to partly cover the opening B,

as seen in Fig. 1. The side of the latch exposed through the pening is inclined upon its edge, as seen at c, Fig. 3, and so that as the screw is forced down through the opening B it'will turn the latchto. one side, to permit the head of the screw or bolt-to pass it, and when it has passed it the spring will force the latch back over the head, as seen in Fig. 3.

Around the opening upon the under side of the plate, and opposite the latch, a flange,f, is

The latch is provided with an arm, E, which l extends outward, and by which the latch may be operated to disengage the bolt when it is desired to remove the cover. a The removable part ofthe cover of a casket is provided with dowels, which enter corresponding holes in the stationary part, and when the dowels are inserted in their place and the cover closed the latch firmly secures it in place, and yet allows its easy andconvenient removal. i

I prefer to form the bearing upon the side of the opening opposite the latch by means of the flangefon the under side of the plate; but this flange may be simply a thickeningof the plate at that point. Therefore by flange I mean a bearing opposite thelatch. This flange also forms a stop, as at 12, against which the nose of the latch will strike and be stopped when fully closed.

1 construct the under edge of the flange b inclined to'tvard the opening, as at m, and at a point little above the plane of the lower surface of the latch, as seen in Fig. 3, and so that the head of the bolt, as it passes through the opening,will be forced slightly toward the latch, and then,as it completes the closing,will pass under the incline, as seen in Fig. '3. This serves to prevent the possibility of lateral movement'ofthe bolt and cover, as the head comes to a firm bearing against the inclined surface. To accomplish this result the screw or bolt is introduced into the cover at a point a little at one side of the center of the opening, so that, closing naturally, the side of the head of the bolt'will strike the flange side of the opening, and in closing the cover it will yield sufficiently to permit the bolt to pass down through the opening and spring back beneath the incline, and when the head is released from the latch and the cover is to be opened the incline serves to easily bring the head to the opening.

It is necessary to cut a recess in the edge of the casket for the insertion of the mechanism on the under side of the plate, to properly locate the recess to be cut. and to facilitate its cutting I construct the latch with a point, 5, upon its under side, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3, projecting downward, and which is in the center of a circle inclosing the entire mechanism, asindicated by broken lines, Fig.2. The catch is placed upon the edge of the casket in its proper place, and then pressed down to force the point i into the wood. Then, with a common bit, bore a hole f om that center of a size sufficient to receive the mechanism, and as indicated at 1, Fig. 3.

By this construction I am enabled to use a common screw as the bolt and produce a catch simple and most durable in its character.

I claim- 1. The combination of the plate A, provided with the opening B, for the passage of the head of the bolt, the latch d, hung upon the under side of the plate, and so as to partially cover the opening at one side, and the flange or hearing at the opposite side of the opening, the latch constructed with an arm, E,extending outward, and a spring to hold the latch in its engaged position, the said bearinginclined toward the opening, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the plate A, provided with the opening 13, for the passage of the head of the bolt, the latch d, hung upon the under side of the plate, and so as to partially cover the opening at one side, and the flange or hearing at the opposite side of the opening, the latch constructed with an arm, E, extending outward, and a spring to hold the latch in its engaged position, and the point or center 27 upon the under side, substantially as and for the purpose described.

EDWARD It. SARGENT.

Witnesses:

ANKER S. LYHNE, CHAS. L. BALDWIN. 

